Re: Slaughter and Sausage Making - HEIDI

[Guest guest]

>The flavor is fine, etc., but, for instance, with a store bought

>chicken, when it is cooking I often jiggle the back leg near the end of cooking

>time to see how it is progressing, but find this is nearly useless in the

poultry

>we have processed ourselves - it never jiggles! ) We have been using the

killing

>cone method.

>

> Any ideas?

>

> Thanks, Vivian

All animals go thru rigor mortis. Conventional wisdom is that for birds,

you should keep them in the fridge until they go through that

then relax again, at which point the meat should be more tender?

I don't know ... with beef they are hung for like 2 weeks. They used

to hang game birds outside " until the feathers come off " (yeccch!, but

I guess they tasted good).

When I process birds I have to work alone, and do 10 or so at a time,

and I have to admit I never get done before they are all un-rigored, but

at any rate, they then go into the freezer which doesn't freeze all

that fast. I haven't noticed any difference in taste for birds one

way or another. Nor have I come up with a more humane method

for killing them. Chickens seem to go " hypnotized " when they

are upside down though ... I was shocked when a farmer told

me to carry them by their LEGS! He told me that after seeing an 8inch

long *deep* scratch across my neck that a rooster had given me as

I tried to " gently " carry him. Sheesh I hate it when farmers laugh

at me ... ! (though I have to laugh now too ... ).

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

> Rigor mortis is a temporary state. Flesh becomes softer once the cell

> reservoirs

> dissolve and enzymes begin working on the flesh.

>

> Darrell Thanks, Darrell! It appears I have not been waiting long enough

> to allow

> those enzymes to do their work. I guess the next time we process any

> significant

> quantity of birds (and I would always rather do a bunch at at time, if I

> am going

> to do it all), then I will have to try and find some place to keep them to

> sit for

> a day or so...not quite sure where, though! Vivian

Vivian,

We had tough, like leather home grown, home slaughtered chickens and were

told to either let it sit in a cold refrigerator for 24 hours or to pack it

in ice for the same period before freezing or eating. Growing up, Dad would

sometimes get a fat hen or old rooster on Sunday mornings for Sunday dinner

from the chicken farm next door. That always went to stewing for chicken and

dumplings which is ok. Not ok as we found the hard way for anything else.

Wanita

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[Guest guest]

>Gives me

>a weird visual in my mind... The experts say the killing cone method is the

best,

>but I think *I* would feel better with just a quick chop. Haven't tried it

that

>way, though, so was wondering if my stiff birds had to with processing or what.

>Yeah, those roosters have nasty claws - be careful!! Vivian

The problem with the " quick chop " is that the blood doesn't

drain out correctly. Hmm ... well, it's probably not something

for discussing online ...

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

> Darrell Thanks, Darrell! It appears I have not been waiting long enough to

allow

> those enzymes to do their work. I guess the next time we process any

significant

> quantity of birds (and I would always rather do a bunch at at time, if I am

going

> to do it all), then I will have to try and find some place to keep them to sit

for

> a day or so...not quite sure where, though! Vivian

Now that is theory mind you. LOL. Who knows WHAT commercial chicken

slaughterers/processers do to the chicken to make it tender and juicy!

Please don't do anything that would endanger the lives of those who you

are cooking for.

I'm surprised there wasn't more feedback on alleviating a stiff chicken.

Maybe the list gurus could tell you more about strangling their own chicken.

Darrell